Is marijuana allowed at Coachella?

Published
04/09/2017

Coachella is just around the corner, with performances for Week 1 starting this weekend. If you don't know about Coachella, it is a 3-day music festival that is hosted in Indio, California with some of the biggest stars in the music industry. This year the headliners are Lady Gaga (which was a surprise replacement for Beyoncé who was supposed to perform before announcing her pregnancy), Radiohead, and Kendrick Lamar.

Setlist for Coachella 2017

With this setlist (and setlists in the past), Coachella has become one of the most well-known and popular music festivals around the world. And we all know that music festivals and drug usage have always been synonymous. But Coachella has directly stated on their FAQ that marijuana is not allowed on the premise. Even with the legality of medicinal marijuana in the state of California, it is strange that Coachella would ban the substance. Here's a direct quote from their FAQ page.

"Q: I have a medical marijuana card and need to medicate daily...cool?

A: Sorry bro. Medical marijuana cards are not valid at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Even in 2017 and beyond. If that changes so will this answer. "

So, even if you have a medical marijuana card, you aren't allowed to have marijuana on the grounds. Sgt Dan Marshall of the Indio police stated " The promoter has a standing right to the property, and they can determine what can and cannot be brought onto the premises," said Marshall. Think of it like this "You have the right to bear arms, but you don't have the right to bear arms in my house."

In order to uphold this rule, Coachella security will have an amnesty box in which they place all marijuana and other substances that are banned from Coachella at the gate, when inspecting.